New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-04
A LONDON SUNDAY.
WITH THE MODS IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE
AND HYDE PARK.

LONDON. Nov 81.
An afternoon spent in search of a riot that does
NOT occur is unexcitIng but was not altogether I'M
interesting | shall trouble you with only few
,o,es On If and those in the nature of asdes. OF
course If il easy to undernate danger which has
been averted. The very completeness Of Sir Charles
Warren prerarations has robbed him of some OF
the credit which is his due. If he had left loop
hole the mob would have found their way in. As
they did not their friends IN the press, or rather
their friend in the press says they never meant TO,
and a good deal is SAID about the respectabillty
of the gathering in Hyde Park. We'll
that Is matter on which everybody
may indigo for himself. | saw respectable men
bothin Trafalgar Square and in HYDE Park. Some OF
them had police badges on their two arms and were
drawn up in line. They were the special consta-
hes. Others had no badges Others again were
the toughest of the rough. asked sergeant OF
rolice what he tn night of the company. " Plenty
of them mean mischief SIR was his answer. NO
donbt they did and no doubt the dangerous Gle
ment was large enough to have made the afternoon
a hot one he'd the men who slouched sulleny
about the Square seen their way TO safe rush.
But il becomes more and more probable that inc
previous Sunday had taught them lesson.
Another officer told me they expected an attack
after the Hyde Park meeting had broken up.
looked about little and confess saw No prob
ability of it, Once more Sir Charles Warren, who
is fertile IN resources. had changed his plans Inc
GORDON of police and military which kept the
Square the Sunday before had been withdrawn.
The face on the south was open so were the steps
TO he north The base or Nelson's column alone
was SO guarded as to prevent approach TO It, No
chance for q sudden spring on to that convenient
platform. Some 1000 special cOnStables were IN
side the Souare so disposed a. to fill the greater
part of It, TO carry the Square the 1000 Woulh
have to be ebowed out People vera allowed to
nIlaRt
groups or even to STOP unless 10 talk with some
friend among the specials There was no Snch
ga herring IN the adjacent streets and spaces as the
Sunday before The Cold stream Guards were in
barracks behind the National Gallery. Inc Life
Guards were drawn up. also on OF sight, III ~
James's Pork. The ColIsreams had. was told
forty rounds per man of huckshot cartridge Buck
shot is form of moral suaSou 10 which the roier
objects strongly. On the whole. thought lrafal-
car SQUARE likely 10 be dull. and went oil to ilyde
Park.
By this time 1t was $3.50 A fog hung over streets
and Park not thick but enougl TO make objec' ar
a little distance indistnct. HYDE PARK Corner was
quiet enough. Policemen hung ahout lstle,siN.
The reserves here too. were kent ont OF the way III
wanted So drove on IL the Marble Arch. where
round more animated scene Masses OF peope
had gathered. The mud was thick under foot N
SIDE the Gates. but curiosity was waterproof, ana
tbousaudS of sight seers were waiting more or less
patiently to see what the day might bring forth.
They had nothing to d. with the mertlA9 OF
meetings. of The day. Those were gong on IN the
belly of the park ont Of sight in the mst-not
ante ont of hearing. mufflel Ioar was andi"Ie;
The murnlur rising sonnet mes to the mar IcuIa'e
crowl which comes from multitude IN motion.
Superintendent of Police was II charge OF the pro-
ings at Marble Arch; an alert cheerful, intel
lcent officer not averse to talk with stranger OF
iuquirng mind, asked:
II, the meeting a very large one .
a good many people, hut nothing to what VIC
often have OF "a sumner afternoon
"Will there be any trouble T.
"Not il the PARK. sir"
"Win hey g to Trafalgar Square after tho talk
ing is ove;f'
"No they woa't disperse for another half-hour,
and then If viii he too dark They will never try
it on when such daylight a. there is Is gone
evil anything happen here at the Area :
ooh no. sir We are too strong for them and they
know ii. B-sideS' pointing over his shoulder
there are 1000 specials in Great Cumberland
Place Yo1 can't see EN-. but there they are.
Then the day will end qnietlyT
I'VE think So but you can never he sure Most
Of that crowd down b. the trees will come ont
this wav We can look after them veFv well here
but once they get into the streets can't say where
they may 20 or what they may Co..
II was evident that tins officer knew what he
was "a king about. would not boast, but was sure
he he'd Il e upper hand Of the camille consigned 70
him. | went On into the Park There was swarm
Of reope ali about. but nowhere dense. |, is a
quar- or of mile more from tn Arch 10 the spot
whore the champions of free speech had pitched
their tents Their tents. this occasion, were
vaoous wagouettes ana vans | TIN X | counted
eight of these. They had banners. but were IN no
sen.e an army. There wa obviously no discipline.
ard not much cohesion. People stragsIed about
almiessv Half or more than hall were spectator.
~ was There were women and even children.
Men with tall hats were the execution. Most OF
tbos. who usually wear tall hats had preferred put
ing on for the day the less ambitious Pot hat. !
think Won eall II in New York "a Derby; term not
used here. or used only as a trademark. They had
Their Goa well bn toned NJ and bore stc\s
lEnrsh for the American canc) aida look Of fOrti-
tudc on their faces a. If prepared Tor the worst
Now and then came rush; some part OF one OF the
many groups sud lenly dissolved and ragged column
swooped down on few quiet persons within easy
reach : who. however. retreated promptly, so that
tho ragged 60 nmn spent IT'S energies IN air and IT'S
breath IN vain curses. The wagons aud wae m
cites and vans were almost within ear shot Of each
other The red and blue banners some OF them
colo fasse led aud fringcd, bore such devices as
"Jusicc to Ireland AMI 40 Coercion The faw-
cett Liberal Climb was there; strange use to winch
strange men (and women hal put an hOuOred
name. And there were many more. The police had
so far pa r0nil~d these performances as to allow
these plat vehicles to drive over the turf aud
establish themselves wherever they or thcIr occu-
pants liked
Such SCRAPS Of speeches as hearl were pure
fustIan. Perhaps | was too late 10 hear MI
OBrIen's clothes, OF the wrongs Of lTeIan"
in general discussed. 1t Socialism
and Anarchy these orators were spoutlng' ana
spouting 50 far az | could sec to no purpose what
ever Their heroics fell fiat. 1t was remarkable
to see with what apathy these audiences heard
that they were the victims Of tine bioalei capital